Death in Disguise Read Online Free

all. It was a great deal of course, but it was not enough to lead him from the shadows.
    But it would be useless, Arno knew, to point this out. It would be unkind too, for Ken and Heather had brought the practice of positive thinking to a state-of-the-art meridian. No naughty darkling hesitancies for them. If one peeped out it was swept back under the carpet p.d.q. This refusal to acknowledge the grey, let alone black, side of life made them supremely complacent. A problem was barely described before the answer was on the table. Postulation. Simplification. Solution. Each stage liberally laced with Compassion. Soft-centred, honey-coated and as simple as that.
    Trixie dragged her chair back, saying: ‘I’m glad I’m not on kitchen rota for the grand occasion tonight. I can have a nice long drink in The Black Horse instead. I’m sure we’re all going to need one.’
    Ken and Heather Beavers smiled indulgently at this roguish whimsy. No one at the commune had ever been into the village pub. Janet emerged and got up rubbing her knees.
    â€˜What do you mean?’ asked Arno. ‘About needing a drink.’
    â€˜Mr Gamelin. Don’t tell me you’d forgotten his visit.’
    â€˜Of course not.’ Arno now collected the plastic washing-up bowl from which everyone had helped themselves to muesli. One of the community rules was: Never Leave The Table Empty-Handed, and, although this occasionally meant something vanishing before anyone had had a chance to make use of it, on the whole the system worked very well.
    â€˜Will you be making your Quark soufflé Heather?’
    â€˜I thought I wouldn’t in case he’s late. You know what tycoons are.’ She spoke with rueful authority as if hot-foot from the Stock Exchange.
    â€˜We thought the three-bean lasagne,’ said Ken stroking his comanchero moustche.
    â€˜That is certainly very filling.’
    â€˜Then use up the Quark with some stewed pears. Beat in some of Calypso’s yogurt if it won’t stretch.’
    â€˜Excellent.’ Arno beamed as if it really was and thought, there’s always the birthday cake.
    â€˜I bet he’ll buy her an amazing present,’ said Trixie.
    â€˜What they really like, ruthless tycoons,’ said Janet, ‘is tearing into a big red steak.’
    â€˜Quite a father-in-law you’ve chosen Christopher.’ Ken and his crystal twinkled across the table.
    Christopher said: ‘Let’s not get carried away,’ and started to collect the cutlery.
    â€˜Well he won’t get a steak here.’ Heather shuddered. ‘How do you know he’s ruthless anyway, Jan?’ Janet hated being called ‘Jan’. Except by Trixie.
    â€˜I saw him on the box ages ago. One of those studio discussions. The Money Programme I think it was. He ate the lot of them up in the first five minutes then started on the table.’
    â€˜Now, now,’ chided Arno. He had not seen the programme. There was no television at the Manor House because of the negative vibes.
    But Janet remembered it well. That square powerful figure thrusting forward as if about to smash its way through the screen, crackling with aggression. Head held low and to one side, motionless like a bull about to charge. ‘I wish he wasn’t coming.’
    â€˜Stay mellow.’ Ken waved his hands up and down, diminuendo . ‘Don’t forget. Not only is there one of him and ten of us, but we are standing in the light of the divine ocean of consciousness. We understand there is no such thing as anger.’
    â€˜He wouldn’t have been invited you know,’ said Arno when Janet still looked worried, ‘if the Master had not thought it wise.’
    â€˜The Master is very unworldly.’
    â€˜Gamelin doesn’t realise the challenging situation he’s coming into,’ chuckled Ken. ‘It’ll be a golden opportunity for him to change his karma. And if he’s